April 10, 2014

Yes, I break my Project Life into quarters. Literally. This is what it looks like on my hard drive:

I can't help it. I've got a mind for business and a bod for sin. (If you can name that movie, you win special consideration! For what, I don't know, but you'll have the PRIDE of knowing that YOU know.)

Shall we dive into the end of the quarter spread?

A little detail on one of the images: Aidan turned 18 in week 13 and one of her very clever girlfriends gave her the book you see here:

The best part? She cut out a bunch of pages (read: altered book arts, y'all!) and filled the hollowed out space with an assortment of pens. Too bad, I could've read a few of those chapters. Especially the ones that address when my body spontaneously sprouts owl feathers and wings. And talons. And smaller, perkier breasts. Menopause, I tell ya. It's just ONE surprise after another.

It's hard to believe we welcome Spring with a snow fall, but that's how we roll in the Upper Midwest.

March 19, 2014

The ice is finally starting to recede on the tundra where I live. The shot above was one of 49 photos I took last week.

Do you know what's funny? In this digital era, you all know that 49 photos in a week is a small number, right? Can you imagine, back in the early 2000s if you took 49 photos every week? (Okay, yes, some scrapbookers absolutely did!) But that would be a couple rolls of film every week. Even I didn't do that with regularity. But 49 pics in this day and age? Pfffft! That's a paltry number.

So I only made one page for this week's Project Life contribution.

This page features very few extras. I kept trying to layer in some digital art, but it just looked forced and crowded. And yes, I made the week's high about me. Well, me and Margie.

I very much get into a pattern in my life. That pattern does not include a lot of socialization. True, I am an introvert and I am super grateful for my quiet office and my lack of social obligations, but man it is good to get out and hang with people you really love and appreciate.

March 17, 2014

Dan and I spent one of the best three-day birthday stretches of our lives—his is the 6th; mine, the 8th; we also celebrate the 'tween day—by going to see our blazingly talented daughter perform in her school production of Little Shop of Horrors.

Aidan was cast in a slightly gender-bent role of Ms. Mushnick, and I'm so glad she was because I'm just gonna say it: she killed in the role.

Seriously.

Needless to say, I had some great shots from the show and wanted to add a page to her album. At first, I was going to print all the photos out separately, create a title using the word 'horrors' on my Silhouette Cameo and assemble it all in the traditional way.

Then I was all, "That's too much work. How about this?"

I created a template, added the photos, found a cute, free Venus Fly Trap graphic and then just printed the whole thing out onto one sheet of photo paper.

I trimmed it and mounted it onto black cardstock.

So much easier than what I'd initially planned.

It tells the story as well as if I'd gotten all crazy crafty with it. Heck, maybe it tells it better.

I'm craving creative simplicity right now.

This layout feeds that particular hunger.

What are you craving with your story telling these days?

PHOTO TIP: Do you ever take photos inside a lighted theater—or other artificially lit environment—and wish they weren't so warm and yellow? I love Totally Rad Actions Rab Lab because it has a Cool as a Cucumber action that drops all that extra yellow out of the shot. I used it on every shot for this page. Here is a sample of the before and after:

March 12, 2014

This is not my usual pace and there's a reason for it: Aidan performed in her school play and because she's the editor it meant that yours truly had to shoot the show. I decided to add a few image for Project Life and I'm working on a layout to showcase more of the shots, which I'll share next week.

Also, this week saw a few more Teen Privacy Labels show up. There are times when I don't have to ask. I just know. Some stories and images need to remain private. That's how we keep blissful family peace.

Or something like that.

Here's the week's pages:

The High of the Week was getting to see three peformances of Little Shop of Horrors. My child is an actor, people. She sings. She acts. She nails it. This is not a subjective opinion. This is fact.

Seriously, Aidan. Thanks for bringing something to our lives that is so incredibly cool.

Again, my journal recaps are simple and factual, not fancy at all.

More and more in this process, I find I am craving simplicity. Photos + words. It's everything about scrapbooking that I truly adore.

March 05, 2014

In Week 9 I took 53 combined photos (iPhone shots + DSLR shots). Many of them were multiple shots of the same thing/scene. It took me about three minutes to say: one page for Project Life.

As soon as I release myself from the pressure to make a spread, I feel light and creative and happy. This, as you know, is a better alternative than feeling dark and blocked and stressed.

Granted, if I have a ton of shots to play with, it's no problem to do a typical two-page spread, but the key is to make the decision and lose the stress.

This project doesn't have to be stressful.

Let's get to it:

No blurred out privacy images for this week. Sometimes, if there is an image in question, I'll ask. Other times, I make assumptions. This week: assumptions. (Did you miss the free Privacy Label download? If so, click here.)

Again, my weekly recaps will never be mistaken for Pulitzer Prize-winning prose. It's a very simple, journalistic recap. In fact, by recapping on one card each week, it does free me up to simply fill the rest of the slots with photos.

I know that it's fun to collection cool Project Life cards and other journaling card files, but if you just feel like making one simple highlights card, you can fill in the rest with photos or filler cards that require no extra journaling.

And speaking of extra journaling… oh, honey.

Definitely a big low of the week. I've never experienced stitches with either of my children, knock on wood. But I can now say I have with my husband.

In fact, here's what the title page looks like now, I just have to add the sixth grade photo, print it out and replace the old title page:

Next, I need to design the 6th grade pages, then get both the 5th and 6th years printed, which I'll do at Persnickety Prints.

As he was showing his album to his friends, not once did I hear him say the following:

"Sorry for the switch up in the way my mom made this book you guys. I know, SO lame."

Nope. He just showed them old photos and they laughed at how little and adorable he used to be. No one noticed the switch from traditional to digital, and even if they did, I can say with confidence they probably did not care one bit.

I'm not sure why I stopped at 5th grade. I've been meaning to get back to this and I've been keeping all the pieces that either need scanning or tucking into a pocket. I mean, I'm in the homestretch, people. Just one more grade to add!

The last time I updated this album was in 2011 (you can read that post here.)

After reading this post from my friend Ali on getting her projects in order, it inspired me to do the same with the few that I currently have floating around.

I've set a goal this week to finish the album and get the digital pages printed.

I don't have a ton of projects hanging over my head, but it's time to get back to those few that are dangling.

What about you? What projects are vying for your crafty attention these days?

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February 19, 2014

As I was sitting down on Sunday night to make my Project Life pages, I was struck by this thought: I have no idea how I even deserve to be a part of this family experience. Truly.

My family is just so incredibly cool. That ain't no hype, people.

However, some of these really cool things included photos that my kids said, "No, I'd rather you not share that in public, Mom."

Of course this reply came because I'm working to be less self-absorbed in my life and remembered to actually ask them what I could share and what I needed to keep within the family.

This is something I'm doing more of lately. True, they are very generous in what they let me share. I do remind them that part of how I make a living is sharing my life online. While that may seem a bit manipulative, it's also partially true.

Still, I want to honor their need to keep some things private and sacred and because of that, I have a really cute little digital set to let you honor the same for your kids and any online sharing of Project Life pages or other memory projects that you might do that require a little discretion.

Based off my Minimal Circles Sentiments No. 01, these little PNG files can be plopped down anywhere you need to preserve a little privacy. I created three styles for teens, kids and families, one that has the word "requested" on it, if you prefer that look. For me, it's all about honor the requests right now.

Let's look at how they worked in Week Seven's pages.

Okay, nothing on this page, but I am in love with my new High/Low Card set. That might seem a little arrogant or self-promoting (well, duh!) but sometimes I make stuff and I like it just fine. Then I make a set and I'm all, "YES! FUN! THIS!" Such is the case with the high/low card set. Note: this card set includes printable PDFs in the colors show on the package for traditional Project Life pocket pages.

In terms of the highs and lows, the lowest of last week was a fire at Dan's parents' farm house in Southern Minnesota. Luckily, no one was injured and it happened during the day while they were there and were able to get the fire department out in time, but the loss to part of the house was pretty devastating.

(Note: I appreciate many of your comments left on Facebook last week. Thank you for your positive thoughts.)

Here is page two.

Ahhh. Isn't that nice? I blurred out the images using a Gaussian Blur and placed the privacy labels over the top, changed their color to white, and voila: privacy preserved!

And if you've always wanted to know how to do this process, well I have just the video tutorial for you!